W. Marshall sculpsit 〈◊〉 not my Anointed And do my Prophets no harme Psal 105. 15. London Printed for Humphrey Mosley 1648. Il Davide Perseguitato DAVID Persecuted VVritten in Italian BY The Marquesse Virgilio Malvezzi And done into English By ROBERT ASHLEY GENT. LONDON Printed for Humphrey Moseley at the signe of the Princes Armes in St Pauls Church yard 1650. DAVID Persecuted THEY that make a question whether it be true or no that God speakes any more to men or indeed that men have any more intelligence from God let them beleeve it for a certaine that hee speakes but they are too deafe to heare the language let them beleeve it for certaine that hee writes but they are too blinde to perceive the Character Hee that will understand his voyce hee that will read his letter let him betake himselfe to the Holy writ that is a Vocabulary which the Spirit of God hath left us to explaine his profound discourses by that is a key to disclose all those obscure letters that are directed to us from heaven Will you O Princes will you O people conceive what it is that God speakes when hee sends a pestilence when hee sends a famine when hee sends warre when hee brings estates to destruction or in hazard to be destroyed Goe runne over these names in the Vocabulary of the Almighty But the weake and weary eyes of our mind eschew the light of the truth they precipitate themselves into an abysse of miseries and among the obscurities of the night grope for the splendour of the sunne Thus wee renounce the prerogatives of the new law It is not the way to get forth of the Clouds in which the Israelites walked for men but to change them Those divine mysteries which they beheld only clouded up in darknesse are now most transparently observed in a cleare skie yet the causes of the Revolutions of States of the increase of one of the diminution of another of the fall of Princes of Famine of Pestilence of Warre were openly displayed to them and wee on the contrary envelop them in the obscuritie of a thousand ambiguities as if that were not true which the greatest Divines have told us that the Chastisements which came upon the Israelites befell them for our example God speaketh but once saith Iob and speaketh not againe the holy writ is that booke in which hee hath spoken there then ought to be searched the causes of good or bad events where clearly and for our sakes they are written To frame Politicke aphorismes to set downe rules for it taken from prophane authors is in a manner to pretend that mans will is necessarie and conducing Nay I could find in my heart to say that it is an undeifying of God and a deifying of the second causes He makes them serve his turne but them hee serves not Hee that in discussing upon naturall events brings in God only for a reason is but a poore Philosopher and hee that brings him not in in Inquiries of Politick occurrences is but a poore Christian when it is his pleasure that the fire which at one time scorched should at another coole hee must have recourse to his almighty power in working miracles but hee may very well without miracles give way that the same action which at one time hath reared up a Prince should at another sink him Our too leaden wings cannot eagle us up from this base earth wee walke in a gloomy aire without lifting up our eyes to that most glorious Sunne of the Empireum The Politick treatises of the Gentiles which are but earthly bring us back to earth in that they have in them but earthly causes but the holy instructions which are sent us from heaven producing heavenly causes bring us home to heaven O most benigne Lord may it please thee to give to drink of thy most cleare and living water this thirsty wretch who forsakes the stinking and muddy Cisternes of the Gentiles rather loathing them than satisfied with them If I knew not my selfe unworthy to bee taken out of the darknesse of my grosse ignorance I would most humbly and upon my knees intreat thee for one ray which like the dawning leading mee on to the most cleare Noone might at this present in some part draw mee out of the obscuritie of this dimme night that I might discover those deepe and profound mysteries which are concealed from the feeblenesse of our understandings The Prophet Samuel reproves Saul because that contrarie to Gods commandement hee had left Agag King of the Amalekites alive and had not slaine all his cattell THe disobedience of Saul gives the last turne to the wheele of his greatnesse It is a fire which consumeth crowns for they are soldred with obedience He knoweth not what belongs to matter of state that loseth this towards God hee teacheth others to forgoe it toward their superiours and as much as in him lyes destroyes the compacture of the universe Disobedience is the ofspring either of the arrogance of the braine or of the weaknesse of the senses either that men thinke to doe better than they are commanded or that they are inclined to doe worse In one of these the frailtie sometimes meets with compassion in the other the contempt alwaies provokes to vengeance This can never bee in regard of God because it is not possible to bee wiser than God and when it is practised among men although it may often seeme to produce good fruit yet is it alwayes naught as that which proceeds from an evill plant Well ordered Common-wealths have not forborne to punish it though prosperous victories ill disciplined bringing with them more dammage than defeatments doe Saul excuses himselfe in that the people had preserved the best of the spoile to sacrifice them to God Obedience is better than Sacrifice answers Samuel GOd had already ordained the Sacrifice when he had commanded that all the men and all the Cattell of the Amalekites should be slaine so many Priests they were that were appointed to kill them so many sacrifices as to bee killed There want not this day such Sauls that sacrifice to God the sacrifices of disobedience These golden mountaines heaped up with impiety that seemes sometimes to adorne them defile the altars of God they onely garnish the ambition of man Hee that thinks with these to pacifie his divine Majestie incenseth it as much as in him lyes with execrable blasphemie proclaimes that Majestie to bee most wicked and makes him partaker of his misdeeds as if hee were bound to bee appeased with him so hee may but have a share in the purchases of his villanies The Prophet replies Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord the Lord bath rejected thee from being King Saul sayes to him I have sinned return with mee that I may worship the Lord SEe the power of ambition which hath oftentimes more force upon the hearts of men than the Commandements of God have He makes as if he repented because hee feares to lose the Kingdome Hee
eyes to admire that celestiall Beautie where we finde it best imprinted among us and is often termed Gratia divisata which consisteth neither in the symmetrie of the Humours nor the Proportion of the Lineaments albeit it oftentimes accordeth and agreeth well with them both when it is not hindered by any defect in the matter and so sometimes but not alwaies the fairest bee the best beloved Hence we may learne the reason of the little correspondence and the much mutability in Love It is not alwayes counterchanged for if the greater Beauty be beloved that which is beloved will not love that which loveth it It is changed as oft as there is represented to us greater beauty than which wee love Yet it is not sufficient that it be represented unto us if wee doe not reflect upon with a desire and therefore many leave not their first love because they permit not any new object of love to enter into their mind Saul suffereth not David to returne home but setteth him over his Armie hee is very gracious in the eyes of the people and particularly of the servants of the King THe subject that is growne great diminisheth the glory of his Master 〈…〉 shall a Prince take then 〈◊〉 but of slender worth If hee take not worthy men to 〈◊〉 how will he governe his Kingdome If hee take such how will hee be a King Hee is not King over others that hath in his Palace a greater man than himselfe If his stare be unsettled he loseth his state if the state be safe his reputation With great reason men might complaine of Nature if they were not for the most part commanded by the better He that holds the Scepter is not the King hee is but the servant of his Minister who obeyeth him Crownes come by Inheritance t is true but not the faculties of ruling If fortune give those to whom shee pleaseth Nature disposeth the other to him that deserves That Proposition of the Philosophers is most true that some are bound to Command and others to obey This is confirmed by him that divided the signes of the Zodiack into commanding and obeying signes This truth is not overthrowne by seeing him to hold a Scepter that was borne fitter for the mattock though hee play the King he is not a King David commeth to Ierusalem with the Head of the Giant the women meet him rejoycing and ascribe more to him in their singing than to Saul who is displeased thereat SHort and unhappie are the favours of the People short for like the floating of the sea it is tost with every winde a Sea that in the same haven wherein one time it hath secured ships another sinkes them Unhappie are they because it is as a violent starre whose radiall beames may be good but not lucky it never raiseth any but to make their down-falls the greater unhappie love because it hath for a Correlative the Princes hatred The Prince is not Lord of that people that loveth another better than him If he be Master of their bodies and meanes the other is Master over their Hearts and minds But good God! how shall a man behave himselfe must a mans valour needs become his infelicitie A wise man may indeed not desire applause but hee cannot hinder it except he leave those qualities for which he is applauded or depart from them that applaud him Ought hee then to forgoe the Talents which God hath bestowed on him or employ them only among wild beasts in the horrid wildernesses or in solitary places The eminent vertue of men if it be not the cause of their Death is so of their Banishment At the first they are sought to out of necessitie and then againe they are expelled under colour of necessitie The Tree that was esteemed for its shadow to shelter us from the heat of the summer is afterwards cut downe to defend us from the cold of the winter The same man whom Princes embraced in the heat of their necessity is he whom they cut downe in the cold of their jelousie Saul since that never looked aright on David NAture teacheth when wee looke on our enemie to give a violent Metum to our aspect whether by staring fiercely or looking askew upon him to strike him with our very spirits and with the greatest quantity and worst quality that may be He that thinks them not to issue out of the eyes and that they proceed not to touch the object when it is neere them is deceived and hee that beleeves it will not deny that they have their operation on that subject If the only diversitie of the aspect make the selfe same radiation of the starre to be sometimes gratious and sometimes deadly why should not the eyes being the starres of this little world have power to diversifie their effects according to the diversitie of their aspects It was not long ere the Devill assaulted Saul againe and when David plaied and sung to deliver him from the oppression of the spirits hee with a speare in his hand would have slaine him but David avoided the blow and departed THat Tyrant is put to a shrewd pinch that is growne jelous of a subject of worth and reputation If hee kill him hee feares the rising of the people If he suffer him hee doubts his raysing of them Now hee accounts himselfe happy if in his oppressing him hee could make the faults of his will to be laid upon the ignorance of his understanding and with the imputation of a mad-man smother that of an ungratefull A most wicked peece of Policie to make our greatest defects the best instruments of our Government There hath beene one that made use of drunkennesse to secure himselfe of the most valorous man of his Armie and Saul doth the like by his vexation with spirits to make David away Such colourable carriages doe move the ignorant rout to compassion rather than to rebellion whiles they give place to Princes to bewaile the death of those whom themselves have slaine and to make them beleeve that their teares of joy are teares of lamentation Saul perceived that God was with David when hee could not slay him with the casting of his speare from which his valour could not defend him because hee did not expect it neither his wisedome because hee did not foresee it HEe that will know when God is with his enemie and this is a morall and not a naturall knowledge let him not consider the conquests made by his valour and by that which wee call Prudence but the helpes he receiveth from naturall inanimate things as Clouds winds fires snow ice raine and tempests for they as it is written fulfill the will of God What availeth our valour if God be not with us and what is our Prudence if God doe not governe it It is nothing I speake of politick Prudence for it is a good connexion of present things with the future and those that are past but of that which is past and which
is present we know but little and of what is to come wee know nothing For my part in regard of future things I esteeme that as wee give unto God an unproper attribute of that which hee hath not so we suppose also a vertue in man which is not in him God hath not properly any prescience because there is nothing future in respect of him neither is there any Prudence in man because hee knoweth not what is to come That which is in God is more properly to be termed knowledge because it is intuitive and the other in man may be called Chance because it works on a subject which may be or not be Then Saul began to bee afraid of David THat the Prince should be afraid of his subject and the subject stand in feare of his Prince hath beene accounted a Harmonie to hold the State happily together This opinion howsoever it may seeme a witty conceit while such feare keeps in the meane groweth not excessive notwithstanding is most false It is true that hot and dry may be corrected by degrees even as heavy and light may be their Counterpoises because the degrees of the one are knowne and the weight also of the other but the affections of the minde can hardly be coūterpoised because they have no firmenesse nor measure Feare hath too sharpe a prick for those that produce it and is too troublesome a passion to them that owne it the one with the qualities that make them to bee feared are spurred on forward after the Government The other cannot willingly hold themselves in because feare is a motion that is not naturall but violent There is no man that desireth not to free himselfe of it The greater part attempt it and in attempting it the State is troubled If the Prince be hee that feareth he turneth to be a Tyrant and if any subject make himselfe feared t' will breed a Conspiracie if the whole Communalty a Rebellion The subject ought to feare the Justice of his Prince and the Prince that of God if a subject make himselfe feared he is no longer a subject or intends not to be so if the Prince be afraid he is no longer Prince or not like long to bee To thinke to make a Prince good by Art may chance prove but fopperie they are rather borne to it than brought to it The goodnesse of a Prince consisteth in I know not what in expressible mystery that cannot be knowne nor can be taught It wanteth nothing of the last Individuation which gives it the being and that same being and no other This conceit of mine resolves the Probleme that demandeth how it comes to passe that many who in the managing of great affaires were held to be capable of the highest dignity and Dominion having after attained to it beene found to be unfit for it Saul made David a Colonel over a thousand Souldiers and said after that hee would give him his daughter Merob to be his wife supposing that to obtaine her hee would so far adventure against the Philistims that hee would be slaine SAul would that David should be slaine but God permitted not that hee should be past the shame of being wicked till it could no more hurt David that Saul was past it This errour of advancing men that are rising and not to know afterward how to take them downe hath often happened even to those that justly and without any offence of God ought to have done it A starre though but a Comet because it is a light that is newly up draweth all mens eyes to it even theirs whose dammage it threatneth A man of worth can no sooner begin to appeare but Princes begin to embrace him thinking to raise themselves by his Friendship when indeed hee raiseth himselfe by theirs not heeding that in stead of growing they decrease It is a difficult thing for one to advance himselfe if he be not protected or impugned by a great one Many times when one hath begun to advance another by protecting him hee raiseth him higher by crossing of him not because it is likely he would then second him but because he knoweth not how to extinguish him Men are ashamed yea and sometimes afraid to shew themselves open enemies of one that is thought to bee their friend who hath deserved well of them and is accounted valorous They seeke then by subtile sleights to overthrow him and therewith advance him the more They are not resolved to use force untill their subtilities faile them and when there is no securitie in using of force Neither yet doe I commend it if they then goe about to second them for the things that are forward in growing should never be seconded Catiline by being opposed was overthrowne and though in Caesar it had not the like effect it happened so because he was first seconded and afterwards opposed Yet was it better once to resist than alway to second him because where the victory was doubtfull the losse had beene certaine I am firmely perswaded that if Catiline had prevailed to be Emperour and Caesar had beene slaine the writers would have blamed the impugning of Catiline and commended the opposing of Caesar because there are many Politicians that make use of examples not to confirme their reasons but to frame them The errours of men consist in watering the Plant that groweth placing it in their owne garden delighting in the Beauty of it and not knowing that it is a kind of Wolfes-bane untill they strain at it and pull it up and then it killeth them If the great ones knew what hurt they receive by shewing themselves enemies to a little one they would not permit any sparkes to fly forth if they were not such sparkes as forthwith give fire to the gunne whose bullet should destroy them Saul marries his daughter Merob to Adriel whom hee had promised to David and causeth it to bee told unto him that hee intendeth to give him his other daughter Michol that loved him David answereth that hee is not worthy to be the Kings sonne in law because hee is poore and of as meant pedigrees MArriages are of power to further thing formerly began whether tending to enmity or to amitie Saul seeth not how in deceiving David he deceives himselfe and thinking to lay an impediment in his way to the Kingdome hee opens him the way thereunto Some one hath made use of such meanes with better successe but with more cunning Hee was a private person and not yet a Prince when he married his Sister to his equall not unto his inferiour to lull him asleep without advancing him and because hee to whom hee married her was not so wise as David hee hoped by such a marriage to have help to strengthen his side and to find a just occasion to oppresse his Kinsman But Saul had no need of Davids help to attaine to that Kingdome which hee possessed already Hee was without comparison greater than hee and might rather feare to
ordinary middle siz'd Courtiers may sometimes fall and sometimes rise The Angell fell and so did man but the man returned into grace and not the Angell because the nature of man was not so great a favorit as was that of the angell If a prince be but simply angry with his favorite so that his anger doth not end in discharging and turning him away it is a signe of love We are very angry with them whom we love entirely It is a security of being a favorite because the anger which may bee vented when it is not kept in by feare is entertained by love and is finally a confirmation of the inward affection being as one may say a certaine venting of matters which being kept in the Princes breast would ruine the Courtier and uttered with choler they call backe the love to his beginning which according to the property of all humane things receiveth satiety and corruption in time David saith in his heart I shall one day fall into the hands of Saul It is better for mee to goe into the land of the Philistims HE that hath need of fortune for his preservation let him be well assured that she is not alwayes helpfull let him withdraw himselfe out of danger because he had her on his side let him looke to have her against him and conclude that the longer she hath lasted the soner his end will come This is a precept which one shall rather finde written than observed perhaps because the nature of men which is in their disasters to complaine of fortune in their good successe to boast of their owne worth doth not permit them to bee afraid of being abaÌ„doned of those helps which they know not how or whence they obtained so that the vowes which are hanged up in the Temple of Fortune are more to pacifie her than to bee thankfull to her He therefore that of necessity to maintaine himselfe in state is driven either to the helpe of Fortune or his best skill and cunning let him live alwaies in feare for in the end the instability of the one and the deceitfulnes of the other will let him fall into the hands of Saul That Monarchy or Common weale is not stable which is not founded on forces lawes and ordinances of their owne That clocke which hath no Gnomon and which receiveth its motion either from springs or counterpoises cannot long endure without erring David with his men goe to Achish the King of Seth which when Saul understood he left off pursuing him IT seemes lawfull to flie among the pagans when there is no other way to save himselfe so that he live not like a Pagan and hee is not alwayes to bee blamed that hath recourse to their helpe for the recovery or defence of his owne estate It hath beene sometimes also permitted to helpe them against other pagans so the helpe wee yeeld them be in favour of reason and right But it shall bee alwayes recorded for a great fault to succour to encourage to move or to counsell the idolaters to an invasion of the states of true beleevers for that were not to goe against men but against God to lessen his kingdome and to enlarge the confines of the Devill David saith unto Achish I am not worthy to dwell in the head City with thee Appoint me I beseech thee some other place then Achish assigned him Ziklag DAvid withdrawes himselfe from the Court of King Achish not because Courts are to be forsaken but hee retires himselfe because his different religion and great valour would have made him suspected and feared I am not of their mind that blame and condemne the Court it is the true Paragon of vertuous men there is no place where vice is soner discovered and vertue more rewarded It is a light by which mens hearts are seene and discerned yea it is a most cleare test to distinguish naturall gold from that of Alchimie He that hath great talents let him hasten thither for there they are gloriously spent and employed Let him not regard the complaints of those whose talents how great soever they have beene have not advâ—nced them It may perhaps be found if they were examined that they were not printed with the stampe of prudence and so of no value because he that had them could not utter them or because hee would have them goe for more than they were worth He that excels in any art or science if hee have not withall some eminent place in Court hee complaines that vertues are not regarded Princes for the most part both esteeme and reward all men according to the greatnesse of their quality not of their ambition and â—f any one complaine it is thought he hath more of that than of the other A great part of the errors in the world ariseth hence not because every one doth not give place to his better but because every one doth not know his better and indeed it is a difficult thing to know him because hee goes not alwayes clad in the same cloth Men deceive themselves in equivocating from a greatnesse with an addition to an absolute greatnesse beleeving oftentimes because they are esteemed the best in some one thing that therefore they should bee the best esteemed He onely in regard hee is the greatest in his profession shall be in great repute above others whose profession shall be in estimation above others David with his men goes forth of the Citie to spoyle and destroy certaine idolatrous countries and returning to Achish makes him beleeve that hee hath beene to endamage the Israâ—lites and the King thereupon is perswaded that he might assure himselfe of David beleeved that he had so farre provoked the Israelites that he could no more be reconciled MAny Princes when they were growne jealous of the fidelity of a subiect have used the like meanes to be secured of him and the chiefest among rebels doe commonly ground their hopes in putting those that follow them in despaire Yet all such rampiers are very weake and easily overthrowne as soone as assaulted with the engine of reason and state It facilitateth pardons makes offences to bee forgotten and overcomes all desires because the desire of dominion is the first begotten and eldest of all the affections The Princes that are wary and circumspect doe thinke themselves onely assured of that faith which is either enforced or interessed The Philistimes prepare a great army to goe against Saul Achish inviteth David to goe with him and he accepts of his invitation I Would not that this place should serve for any example to any Christian Princes to accompany any Infidels in oppressing the faithfull Hee had no thought of bringing the Philistims into the Land of Israel but he was brought into the posession of that kingdome by Achish unto which God had elected him The Philistims went not to fight against the kingdome but against the King as was cleerely seene when after the overthrow given to Saul they returned to their
Lord more than he and not that his Lord loves another more than himselfe This would bee a desire to tyrannize over the affections of Princes which men ought to reverence He that could make his love more fervent than that of the favorite might peradventure make himselfe the greater favorite but commonly men strive to unhorse him by malice and not by vertue because it is more easie to envy than to love Give me leave also further to affirme if without offence I may that it cannot be any blame to have a favorite unlesse men will say that Christ our Lord was to be blamed whose favorite was Saint Iohn One passing by chance neere unto Saul who longed to die and asked him whence he was and the other answering that hee was an Amalekite Saul prayeth him to kill him which hee excuseth O The unspeakable providence of God! he peradventure permitted not Saul to kill himselfe he consented that his sin should kill him One of the Amalekites whom against the will of God hee had saved alive God will have to put him to death That sinner spoke for al sinners spake divinely that said My sin is alwayes against me We have no enemies but we make some nor is Saul alone slaine by his sinne for there be but few men that are not also killed by theirs And it is very particular that one particular should kill them seeing it was the same that brought death into all the world O how pleasant and how profitable are the precepts of God! He is a Physitian under favour be it spoken not onely for the soule but for the body also He hath left us better rules in a few leaves to preserve our health than are contained in the great volumes of the bookes of the Gentiles King Saul dieth after he had reigned many yeeres and with the King dieth a great part of the people which had demanded a King FAvours are not therefore demanded of God that he may doe them but because he will doe them hee doth them by meanes of our prayers they are obtained with the Optative not with the Imperative mood Hee that will command them deserves then only to bee heard when it is to his harme to have beene heard to teach him that is God neither to bee taught nor to be commanded Wherefore then it was that Saul did lose his life and wherefore the Kingdome of Israel went out of his Progeny is easily resolved by them who omitting the manifold other causes have recourse to that alone which is the first and chiefe and prime cause from whose well all the rest proceed But why God willeth the destruction of Kings and Kingdomes would bee easie also to shew were it not the will of God is not alwayes effective but sometimes also permissive Hee wills that such as forsake him lose their kingdomes and that they that follow him obtaine them Moreover how and when it comes to passe that hee permitteth sometimes those that follow him to be abased and those that abandon him to bee exalted I doe not know and others peradventure know as little Those Princes then that are not in Gods favour let them alwayes feare how prosperous soever they are Being not able to alledge any cause of their happinesse they must needs be afraid if they be great they know not why they are so and it is to be doubted that such greatnesse cannot long endure whereof no cause can bee given for which it began He who hapning to come into the house of a fortunate man did suddenly depart thence certainly hee meant it not of them that God maketh happy and successefull but of those whom God permitteth so to be The ruine of Saul came peradventure of his owne great prosperity his being from a base estate exalted to a kingdome confirmed and setled therein with happy successe in stead of making him the more devout made him more confident yea more rash and unadvised Let us not make it lawfull to serve him the lesse who hath prospered us to the end wee should serve him the more as if the gifts or graces which God vouchsafeth us were but for our pleasure and not for his glory A great sort of men offend their God in their prosperity and pray unto him in their adversity yet is hee still the same God when he delivereth us out of misery and distresse and when he overturneth our fortunate courses and proceedings It may seeme peradventure that to deliver out of disasters doth more manifest the Divinity than to abase prosperous fortunes whence it is that men are more confident in his mercies than fearfull of his vengeance There is no man how wicked soever but doth some good thing whereunto he afterward ascribes the cause of his good successe and equivocating betweene the reward and the grace given him hath no feare of losing what he pretends to have deserved On the contrary there is no man so good but he committeth some evill whereunto for the most part he attributeth the cause of his misfortune and equivocating betweene Gods chastising and his exercising of him sends up sometimes his supplications to God when he should rather have sent thanksgivings as if the world which is the place of meriting and demeriting were the place also of rewarding and punishing To conclude let us pray his divine Majestie that he will be alwayes pleased to end the persecutions of the Davids with the death of the Sauls And all to the glory and honour of his great Name in which I end this Booke as I desire also to end my life FINIS Vid. Daâ—